EP0009774B1 - Grass catcher in a lawn mower - Google Patents

Abstract

The lawnmower (4), which has a horizontal frame mounted on two front wheels and two rear wheels, has a pair of handles (3) with their supporting arms sloping rearwards and upwards from a point near the rear axle. The grass box is made in two parts (7, 8) divided along a horizontal plane and connected by a hinge (6) at the end adjacent to the lawnmower. By grasping a handle (9) on the rear of the top part (7) the user can raise it and also the bottom part (8) so that the two parts are nearly in a straight line, still connected by their hinge. This operation is assisted by spindles (2) projecting each side of the bottom part, retained in forks (10) mounted on the bottoms of the handles.

Description

The invention relates to a grass collecting container in a lawn mower, which container is composed of at least two parts which are connected to one another in an articulated manner.

Previously, it was common to attach the grass catcher to a rigid frame when mowing lawnmowers. For emptying, the filled container must be removed from its rigid frame or swiveled on the lawn mower. Meanwhile, the user is forced to empty the container, e.g. a basket to leave its working position and go next to the lawn mower.

Removing or pivoting such a generally heavy basket is also inconvenient and causes a considerable loss of time.

The invention has for its object, avoiding these disadvantages in a lawn mower to design the grass collection container so that it can be easily and quickly emptied of collected grass.

This object is achieved in that, in the case of a grass catcher of the type described in the introduction, the lower part of the container is equipped with axles or open bearings which cooperate with open bearings or axles arranged on the handlebar or on a carrier of the lawnmower.

According to a further development of the invention, the upper part of the container is provided on the side opposite the lawn mower with a maneuvering handle, on which a simple pull from the user who has remained behind the handlebars enables the container to be pivoted into a position for the automatic emptying of collected grass. The maneuvering handle is expediently designed such that it locks the upper part to the lower part in the working position of the container.

The upper part of the container advantageously has a transport handle on the side where it is attached to the lawn mower, by means of which the container can be pivoted towards the user by a simple pull. According to a further embodiment of the invention, transport rollers are attached to the upper part of the container on the side opposite the hinge axis, on which the pivoted container which has been lifted out of the bearings can be moved away for emptying. Thanks to the invention, the handling and transportation of the grass catcher in a lawn mower has become easier and faster, since the user can stay behind the handlebars to empty the hopper or he can drive the hopper away on his transport rollers.

• Fig. 1 eine Seitenansicht eines in erfindungsgemässer Weise mit einem Grasauffangbehälter ausgerüsteten Rasenmähers;
• Fig. 2 eine der Fig. 1 entsprechende Teilansicht mit dem Grasauffangbehälter in Entleerungsstellung;
• Fig. 3 eine Ausführungsvariante der Fig. 1;
• Fig. 4 eine der Fig. 3 entsprechende Ansicht mit ausgehobenem Grasauffangbehälter;
• Fig. eine den Fig. 3 und 4 entsprechende Ansicht mit in die Entleerungsstellung verschwenktem Grasauffangbehälter;
• Fig. eine Seitenansicht des Rasenmähers der
• Fig. 5, wobei der Grasauffangbehälter in die Transportstellung verschwenkt ist; und
• Fig. 7 bis 9 verschiedene Ausführungsformen des Lagers der Schwenkachse.

Embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Show it

• Figure 1 is a side view of a lawn mower equipped in a manner according to the invention with a grass collecting container.
• FIG. 2 shows a partial view corresponding to FIG. 1 with the grass collecting container in the emptying position;
• Fig. 3 shows an embodiment variant of Fig. 1;
• FIG. 4 shows a view corresponding to FIG. 3 with the grass collecting container raised;
• 3 shows a view corresponding to FIGS. 3 and 4 with the grass collecting container pivoted into the emptying position;
• Fig. A side view of the lawnmower
• Fig. 5, wherein the grass catcher is pivoted into the transport position; and
• 7 to 9 different embodiments of the bearing of the pivot axis.

As the figures show, the grass collecting container 1 designed in the form of a basket is formed in two parts, i.e. it is composed of an upper part 7 and a lower part 8, which are articulated to each other at their end facing the lawn mower 4 at 6. According to the invention, the lower part 8 of the basket is provided with two axes 2, each of which cooperate with an open bearing 10 on the handlebar 3 of the lawnmower. At the end opposite the hinge axis 6, the upper part 7 is provided with a maneuvering handle 9.

The attachment of the basket 1 to the grass outlet 5 of the lawn mower 4 is realized by means of a known device which is provided on the lower part 8 of this basket 1.

Due to the arrangement of the hinge axis 6 between the parts 7 and 8 and the axes 2 with bearings 10, it is possible, by simply pulling the handle 9 to remove the basket without pivoting it about its axes 2, the parts 7 and 8 opening and bring the basket into the emptying position shown in Fig. 2, during which the user in his working position, ie stays behind the handlebar 3.

The parts 7 and 8 can also be locked together by means of a locking lever or other locking devices in such a way that the basket is emptied e.g. can be removed into a wheelbarrow by loosening the basket from its holder without the need for any other work tool.

At its end facing the lawn mower 4 and connected to the grass outlet 5, the lower part 8 of the basket 1 is provided with an automatic closing flap, not shown and known per se, which prevents grass from falling out at this point during the emptying maneuver of the basket 1, and that moves away again at the outlet 5 when the basket is reattached.

According to a further feature of the invention, the upper part 7 of the container 1 is provided with a transport handle 11 on the side facing the lawn mower. The maneuvering handle 9 is elastic with one end on the upper part 7 attached and he presses with its other end against the lower part 8, whereby a locking of the container 1 is obtained in the working position (Fig. 3 to 9). The interaction of the axles 2 with the open bearings 10 of the handlebar 3 allows the container 1 to pivot from its position shown in FIG. 1 into one of the positions of FIGS. 5 and 6 or to lift it out of the bearings 10 (FIG. 4).

Above the handle 9 7 transport rollers 12 are attached on both sides of the upper part, which after _' lifting the container 1 out of the bearings 2 by means of the handle 11 enable its easy movement on the floor. With its front part, the container 1 bears against the grass suction channel in a known manner.

3 to 7 show, the open bearings 10 each sit on one arm of the handlebar 3, or they are attached to one or more brackets which connect independently of the handlebar 3 to the lawnmower (FIGS. 8 and 9). FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of the bearings 10 in the form of two bearing cradles 13 fastened to the handlebar 3 and extending beneath them, in which the container 1 with its axes 2 is received. 8 shows bearings corresponding to the design of FIGS. 3 to 6, which, however, are supported by a carrier 14 which is independent of the handlebar 3 and which connects to the chassis of the lawnmower 4. Fig. 9 shows a variant of Fig. 8, in which a single carrier 15 is provided which extends into the interior of the container 1 in its lower part. The carriers 14 and 15 can be fixed or adjustable.

For emptying, the grass collecting container can either be lifted out in the usual way, or pivoted without being removed, or it can finally be moved to a specific place on its rollers 12.

The container 1 is lifted out by lifting the axles 2 out of the bearings 10 by means of the handles 9 and 11 (FIG. 4), after which the emptying e.g. can be done in a wheelbarrow. To quickly empty the container without removing it, the user remains behind the handlebar 3 and pulls on the handle 9 to unlock the upper part 7, after which he pivots the lower part 8 about its axes 2. An opening movement between the upper part 7 and the lower part 8 is possible thanks to the hinge axis 6. In Fig. 5 the arrows indicate the direction of rotation of the two parts of the container 1, the closing and locking taking place in the reverse manner.

To empty the container 1 at a certain place, it is pivoted back about its axes 2 in the locked state until the rollers 12 come to rest on the floor (FIG. 6 position 1 °), after which an additional pivoting movement about the axis of the rollers 12 takes place (Fig. 6 position 2 °), which results in the release of the axes 2 from the bearings 10. Then the container can be moved away on the handle 11. The reinsertion of the container 1 is carried out in the opposite way.

In order to avoid any accidental contact with the cutting knife, the container 1 can actuate a safety flap blocking the channel when it is removed or pivoted for emptying.

The grass collector according to the invention is intended in particular for lawn mowers with a rear grass outlet. With its rollers 12, it can be brought to an emptying place with ease.

The invention is not restricted to the embodiments described and shown in the drawings. Without departing from the subject matter of the invention, the features of the invention can be replaced by technically equivalent features. The maneuvering handle 9 can thus be attached to the container 1 in any desired manner.

Claims (9)

1. Grass collecting container for a lawnmower, said container comprising at least two parts connected in an articulated manner, characterized in that the lower part (8) of container (1) is equipped with spindles (2) or open bearings, which cooperate with open bearings (10, 13) or spindles arranged on the control lever (3) or on the support (14,15) of lawnmower (4).

2. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper part (7) of container (1) is provided on the side opposite to the lawnmower (4) with an operating grip (9), which brings about a tilting of the container into a position for the automatic emptying of the collected grass when pulled by the user from behind the control lever (3).

3. Container according to claim 2, characterized in that in the working position of container (1) operating grip (9) locks the upper part (7) to the lower part (8).

4. Container according to one of the claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the upper part (7) of container (1) has on the side where it is attached to lawnmower (4) a transporting grip (1) which, if pulled, tilts the container towards the user.

5. Container according to claims 2 or 3 and claim 4, characterized in that transporting rollers (12) are fitted to the upper part (7) of container (1) over operating grip (9).

6. Container according to one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the open bearings are formed by two bearing cradles (13), each of which is fixed below an arm of control lever (3).

7. Container according to one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the open bearings are supported by two supports (14), both of which are connected to the lawnmower chassis independently of the control lever (3).

8. Container according to one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a single open bearing is supported on a support (15) connected to the chassis of lawnmower (4) and extends into the interior of the lower part (8) of container (1).

9. Container according to claims 7 or 8, characterized in that the supports (14, 15) of the bearings are arranged in fixed or adjustable manner on the lawnmower chassis.

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